Overlapping card-index.



T. H. R 0$E'NBERGER. OVERLAPPING CARD INDEX. APPLICATION FILED ma. 6. 1914.

LIL H nu a r rice.

THOMAS H. ROSENBERGER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDREW F.

' =ROSENBERGER OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS H. ROSEN- BERGER, a citizen. of the United States, and a resident of the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overlapping Card-Indexes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to'improvements in indices and refers more particularly to a type of card index in which the cards. are supported upon a series of leaves or frames, the cardslying in overlapping relation to expose the title of each particularcard.

Among the salient objects of theinvention are to provide improved means for supporting a plurality of overlapping cards mounted in a supporting frame in a novel manner; to provide improved means for adjustably mounting a plurality of overlapping cards in such a way that any of the cards may be.

removed from the frame without disturbing the mechanical security of the other cards; to provide a construction in which the cards are supported in the frame by being simply hinged on an individual support which preferably may be a simple shaped Wire; to provide a construction in which a maximum amount ofidentifying data may be placed in a amount of space and yet be so arranged as to be instantly accessible; to provide a construction in which the cards are securely held in place and which nevertheless may be readily removed from or inserted in the frame; and in general toprovide an improved construction of the char acter referred to. Y y

In the drawingsFigure 1 represents the upper part of one of the leaves of my improved card index, with one of the side flangesbroken away to show the spacing of the supporting wires; F ig. 2 is a section along line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing a single supporting wire and part of the card which it supports; Fig. 4 is a similar section taken along line 44 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 shows one of the card blanks before it is hung over one of the supporting wires. j

Referring to the drawings1 represents as a whole the supporting leaf or frame for the cards, which preferably consists of a fiat sheet of thin metal. It comprises a back portion and two longitudinal edges which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed February 6, 1914. Serial N 'o. 816,900.

are folded over to form the side retaining flanges 2 and 3, spaced slightly from the main sheet of the leaf to form a pair of opposedgrooves or channels, within which the'supporting wires for the cards are arranged to slide.

In actual practice there may be from one to a hundred or any number, of leaves, each of which may carry from fifty to one hundred individual cards, and in some cases, to allow for increased capacity and to save ,space, pairs of leaves are joined together back to back to form double leavesv with a series of cards arranged upon each side.

ders, shipments and remittances to each in dividual customer of an ordinary wholesale establishment. The supporting wire 5 is constructed from a length of fairly stiff wire, yet which maybe formed easily and which has considerable; longitudinal resiliency. 'The ends -'of thewire are curved around in U-.sl1ape,'as shown in Figs. 1 at 6,

in order to provide for the proper spacing between, the individual cards in the index.-

It is to be noted that the extreme width across the arms of the U will be equal to the width of the space provided for the name written upon the lower edge of the card, as

"it will have the effect of making the card overlap just the same amount as the wires are spaced. apart. Each wire is formed up at ,two points between its ends to provide a pair'of retaining arms or lugs 7, 7 which are each spaced apart from the ends the samedistance, making the wire symmetrical. The distancebetween the arms 7, 7 is such that they will enter freely the two holes 8, 8, punched in the card 'Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the arms 7 are curved slightly and point downward, being of such a length that they contact with the main sheet of the. leaf 1, and are held in spring engagement therewith by the resiliency of the supporting wire, the ends of which are curved as shown at 9, so as to bring the straight portion of the wire some distance in front of and away from the leaf. The object of this spacing is to make lt'easy for the cards to swing or hinge about the supporting wires without any possibility of the fold interfering with or rubbing against the surface of the leaf. Interference with the curved portions 9 is prevented by cutting a V-shaped notch 12 positioned at each side of the center of the card. To.make the cards more flexible and to prevent them from standing out at an angle from the leaf, the flexibility of the fold is increased by scoring the surface of the card for a short distance on either side of the fold, 'as indicated at 10. This scoring is accomplished by a method similar to that used in making leaves for loose-leaf ledgers, or other purposes where the loose leaf is made of comparatively heavy, stifi' paper, which, however, must lie fiat and hinge freely. The arms 7 of the supporting wire perform a double function. In the first place, they prevent the cards from moving longitudinally of the supporting wire, and

'the cards are thus always inproper alinement; and, 1n the second place, they preventthe dislodgment ofthe cards when they are lifted up to expose the cards below, the under-surface of the arms 7 engaging the edges of the apertures 8- whenever there is any tendency for the card to rise away from 1ts supporting wire.

To insert a new card, the latter is first folded double and almost flat, and it is then hung over one of the supporting wires, which it is understood has not yet been placed in the leaf. Then, with the card hanging from the wire, the latter is bowed sufliciently to bringthe two ends of the wire together close enough to enable it to enter between the flanges of the leaf. After both ends .of the wire have entered behind the flanges, the wire is released and springs back into its normal position, as shown, and is retained in that position by the difference between the length of the supporting wire and the distance between the two opposed edges of the retaining flanges. on the leaf. Individual cards may be removed by lifting up the lower edges of the cards above the particular one to be removed until there is space enough between them to permit the supportlng wire and card to be grasped and pulled bodily out -of the leaf. After a card has been removed, the cards above slide downwardly under the influence of gravity, if a vertical leaf is used, until the adjacent wires are again all in contact with each other.

Insertion of a new card in proper alphabetical arrangement between a number of other cards may also readily be accomplished sliding the cards apart until the space to permit the insertion of a new card is made.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, I have shown a card which has been folded exactly double, so that the two.

less secondary consideration, in order to save expense, two names may be written on each double card by overlapping the latter slightly when folding, the central holes 8 being ofl'set slightly from the center of the card for that purpose. This provides in ef fect two cards hung upon a single supporting wire, the name being written upon the lower edge of each card. When this is done,

however, it is necessary either to change the forming of the ends ti of the supporting wires to furnish a double spacing between the adjacent cards, or it is-necessary to cut in half the width of the name space at the bottom of each card.

I do not limit myself to thedetails of construction shown, except as specified in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a leaf-like frame having oppositely disposed retaining members at its sides, of a plurality of supporting wires detachably seated in said retaining members and having offsets intermediate their ends and cards mounted on said wires in overlapping relation and apertured to receive said oflsets.

' 2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a leaf-like frame having oppositely disposed channels at either side thereof, of a card adapted to receive identifying data thereon folded along a line intermediate its ends and apertured at the fold, a supporting wire having an offset adapted to enter the aperture of the card and provided at its ends with retaining portions fitting into said channels.

3. In a card index, the combination with a supporting leaf having opposed retaining flanges at two opposite sides thereof, and a plurality of superimposed index units mounted on said leaf, each consisting of an apertured card folded along a line intermediate its ends, and a supporting wire thereforhaving enlarged end-portions shaped to fit behind the flanges to space adjacent wires from each other and provided intermediate its ends with a projection adapted to enter the aperture in said card and hold the latter in place on thewire.

the fold, and a supporting wire lon gitudinally resilient and having its ends sultably shaped to prevent improper twisting of the ivire when placed in a suitable, supporting frame, and having an integrally formed projecting arm at a point intermediate its ends and adapted to enter the aperture in said card to hold the latter in position, the

card being rotatably hung upon said wire,

THOMAS H. ROSENBERGER.

\Vitnesses MpE. MACK, FRANK C. PEREW. 

